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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22552384">A Farewell to Kings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlindManBaldwin/pseuds/BlindManBaldwin'>BlindManBaldwin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, F/M, Politics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:34:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,272</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22552384</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlindManBaldwin/pseuds/BlindManBaldwin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey and her friends attend the Iowa Caucuses to vote for their preferred Democratic candidate</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Finn/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Farewell to Kings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Remember this is a work of fiction! Except Joe Biden is a bad candidate. Don't vote for him. Everyone else is better compared to him.</p><p>Thanks to a few people on Twitter for putting this idea in my head!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“God, it’s so white here,” Finn scoffed—noting the mayo-like color of the attendees in the high school gym. </p><p>“And old too, good lord,” Rose replied.</p><p>“Well,” Rey answered. “There’s one old white guy who has rights,” </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Finn said, bringing out the Bernie 2020 button he snuck in his wallet. “The only one!” </p><p>Crowds filled the gymnasium of Kirk High School, ready to begin casting the first votes in the 2020 Presidential Election. All were united in only one belief, the importance of defeating Donald Trump. How to accomplish that was pandemonium—quite reflective of the caucus process. </p><p>Looking at the people around her, Rey thought of her own caucus experience from four years ago. In her first election, the bright-eyed and idealistic first-year college student thought the Democratic electorate would make the right decision of the candidate with the best ideas and plans to make a more just society. And even if her preferred candidate lost the primary, Rey thought the American people would make the right decision and not elect a racist conman to the highest office in the land.</p><p>Finn would never let her live that one down.</p><p>Her best friend and former college roommate, Finn was always the more politically engaged one. While Rey spent college tinkering away in her engineering courses and getting her hands greasy in a wide variety of projects, Finn spent his time at protests and lobbying at the state capitol. Sit-ins, rallies, letters of testimony were his idea of a good time.</p><p>“Oh shit, Poe!” Finn got out of his chair and hugged his good friend. “Y’all remember Poe, from when I worked at the capitol?”</p><p>“Bet we’re all here for the same thing, right?” He asked them. </p><p>“To bring on the revolution!” Rose comically screamed with a pump of her fist. </p><p>“I like this kid! Say Finn, I’m working across the river in Omaha with a tenants’ group. You should come by sometime, we’re doing a lot of good work building solidarity throughout the city. Here,” Poe fumbled around on his phone, “Let me show you some of what we’ve been doing.”  </p><p>“Ugh, when’s this getting started,” Rose turned over to Rey and asked. </p><p>“Patience, patience,” Rey said to Finn’s girlfriend. He always thanks Rey for setting the two of them up. Rose, a long-time classmate of Rey’s and one of her closest friends at school, had a fire inside of her for activism but knew not how to turn her desire into action. She had no intention of setting them up romantically—hell she didn’t think Finn loved anything but the cause. But one thing led to another and the two had been practically inseparable ever since. </p><p>“These things are always so late, I hope it’s soon,” Rose crossed her arms and slumped back in her chair, checking her phone’s clock. “I’ve got wage slavery in the morning.”</p><p>“Did you ever get that job at Johnson Construction?” Rey asked.</p><p>“Yes, oh lord, way better than Abrams Consulting,” Rose responded. “They always preached all these big visions and ideas, but it was a bunch of empty promises. Johnson sticks to the basics and puts out a good finished product.” </p><p>“Oh I know all about Abrams…” Rey thought of her own horrific internship there. </p><p>“Wasn’t that with Palpatine?”</p><p>“Yeah, it was,” At Abrams, Rey worked under this creepy old guy named Palpatine—she swore Palpatine thought of himself as her grandfather. “Total creep, wish he’d just fall into a pit never to be seen again.” </p><p>“Hahahaha, if only all the creepy old guys would,”</p><p>“Like Biden!” Finn said, rejoining their group after Poe gave his best sales pitch on his firm. </p><p>“Excuse me?” A voice said from behind them. “What did you just say about the next President of the United States?”</p><p>“Oh, you must be mistaken,” Finn replied as he turned around. “I didn’t say anything about Bernie Sanders, Mister,”</p><p>“Hmm, I didn’t know Bernie had a single black supporter, thought it was all just whiney incels online addicted to Chapo,” </p><p>“Oh you got a problem with Chapo, bub?” Rose turned around to face down the man. "And incel? I'll have you know I do more fucking in a week than you do in your entire life!" </p><p>Rey buried her face in her jacket, trying to hide the grin breaking out on her face. Rose always had her thorny side. Sneaking down a look at her cellphone, she fired a text off to her group chat.</p><p>
  <em>caucuses are so fucking absurd jesus christ </em>
</p><p>Before the replies started flooding in, she felt a tap on her shoulder. </p><p>“You can’t really be friends with these communists, can you? What’s a pretty girl like you doing with a bunch of pie-in-the-sky morons like them?</p><p>“Morons, I’ll have you kno—” As Rey turned around, she expected to see some overweight middle aged man wearing a flannel shirt with a receding hairline.</p><p>Well, she was right about the flannel shirt part.</p><p>This buff bastard, with long black hair and a nose that he could poke an eye out with, just towered over her. He didn’t look much older than 30. How could someone his age be supporting a bigot like Joe Biden?</p><p>“You’ll have me know, what?”</p><p>“I’ll have you know that Joe Biden is a racist who’s in the pockets of the banks and wants nothing more than to continue our nation’s current trajectory.”</p><p>“Oh you think he’s just Trump?”</p><p>“There’s things more important than Trump! Anyone could beat that monster.”</p><p>“Well, not anyone!” Rose interjected. “Pokemon Go to the Polls!” </p><p>“Oh back off you pinko,” The Man said. “It’s not like Bernie would’ve done any better.”</p><p>“If ifs and buts were candies and nuts, then it’d be Christmas every day!” Rey snarked, encouraged by her friend. As she looked at his face, Rey noticed the man growing increasingly agitated. But it was also as if she had seen this face before—it’s not a face one would forget so easily. “All we know is that your mommy couldn’t do jack shit against a TV host.” </p><p>“My mommy? Well who’d you all vote for in 2016”</p><p>“Well of course I voted for the war criminal,”  Rey said.</p><p>“Same here, sadly,” Finn replied.</p><p>“Bunch of electorialists here,” Rose laughed. “Me? I abstained. Wrote in ‘My Ass’ for President.” </p><p>“Damn,” Finn looked down her backside. “Would’ve been our best president.”</p><p>“God you’re a bunch of immature spoiled brats,” The Man started to walk away to the Biden area. “Well, if you kids ever feel like living in the real world, you know where to find me,”</p><p>“Yeah, at the country club!” Rose joked.</p><p>“With the rest of the racists!” Finn said, completing the joke. </p><p>“God,” Rey said, rolling her eyes. “It’s like you two are a couple.</p><p>“Yeah, a couple of comics!” Finn replied. </p><p>As two love birds laughed to themselves, Rey continued watching the man walk over to the Biden camp. Something about him seemed familiar, but Rey couldn’t quite put her finger on it. His face, his deep baritone voice, the way he physically imposed himself on a room—it all seemed so familiar to Rey. Perhaps it was just something she dreamed of, perhaps they had a chance encounter in a restaurant before, perhaps he just reminded her of someone else.</p><p>Rey had been familiar with the caucus process—having come to one in 2016 already. As the rules were being explained and gone over, she looked down at her phone to see the replies. </p><p>
  <em> Jannah: god yes, they’re such a fucking disgrace. such a shitshow. glad we have a primary here. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Connix: nothing makes sense. what you just stand around and verbally cast your vote? this goddamn byzantine process to decide the next president!!!! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Zorri: course not too different than the fucked up electoral college! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Jannah: omg </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Jannah: wait isn’t there like rounds? </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Rey: sorry there was this fucking biden guy, he’s built like a fridge and looks way too young to be voting for that creepy. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Connix: ooo someone’s horny </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Rey: yeah you are </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Rey: oh damn wait </em>
</p><p>Rey looked up and saw the process had commenced. Representatives from the various campaigns were screaming, encouraging people to hop on over to their side and support their particular candidate. Nothing could shake the trio from their support of Bernie; the three of them all attended their local DSA chapter. If any of them were caught voting for any of the conservative Democrats, they’d get thrown to the wolves. </p><p>“Ok, ok!” The short man leading the caucus said. “After the initial tally, it appears that Sanders, Buttigeg, and Warren have made it to the next round. Everyone else, you gotta find a new candidate.” </p><p>“Ha, Biden isn't viable!" Rose laughed. “What a loser!”</p><p>“Just like the other two times he ran, blew it Iowa,” Finn looked at his phone to begin thinking of just the right tweet to craft. He needed to let his followers know about the hilarity of Uncle Joe’s failure. “Anyhow, now the real fun begins. Gotta see how many of those losers we can get over to our side.”</p><p>The chaos became palpable, the room exploded in a storm of noise. The high ceilings of a high school gym caused all the sound to bounce all around. The fury of lobbying and convincing surrounded everyone. At a moment, everyone—no matter their education or committment—became the most important voter in the room. Everyone became the most important surrogate for their preferred candidate.</p><p>All for such a small amount of delegates.</p><p>But every vote matters.</p><p>“Sometimes, it just takes one person to change the future,” Rey thought to herself. She thought of how different the world would have been if just a few more people showed up to vote in Florida in 2000. She realized all the power she had in her hand, all the power she had to make a difference in the world. </p><p>Beginning to mingle and mix around the room, she tried to convince stragglers about the validity of Bernie’s campaign. She’d go over the talking points—lower health care costs to the consumer by Medicare for All, an abolishment of ICE and dismantling of the police state, a desire to reign in Imperialism. But all the voters cared about was who could beat Trump, especially the Biden caucus-goers. </p><p>Of course, Rey did know this was important. Trump was a horrible President who was actively making life worse for millions of Americans. He struck fear into the hearts of people of color, targeted the rights of women, and sought allegiance with some of the worlds worst authoritarians. But she believed the country could do better than a conservative from Delaware who loved the finance industry and had a penchant for sniffing little girl’s hair. </p><p>Rey knew what she had to do.</p><p>“Hey,” She went over to the man in flannel. “What’re you going to do now? Now that Biden isn’t viable? Want to come over to the kid’s table?”</p><p>“Hmm, like I’d become a fool again.”</p><p>“Again?”</p><p>“Oh, once I was young and impulsive like you. I wore all the pins and went to the socialist meetings. I thought one day we’d see a farewell to kings, but I’ve grown wis—”</p><p>“That’s where I know you from!” Rey pointed as his face. “Yes, I knew you looked familiar. 2016. You were here, you were working for the Sanders campaign! Trying to lobby support. Dealing with all the crap from the Clinton people.”</p><p>“And what did they get us? All that division just got us Trump. No, I’ve seen the polls. Biden’s our best chance. We’ve got to defeat him. Maybe one day we’ll get Medicare for All, maybe one day we’ll get a better society. But things take time, things are slow.”</p><p>“When will change come if not now? Bold action is required, not complacency with a corrupt system.”</p><p>“But what about the suffering going on now? Doesn’t mitigating a little matter more than the chance of saving a lot?”</p><p>“Oh do you genuinely think Biden would do that much to make life better?”</p><p>“Well, no. But enough. A little bit. Sometimes a little bit is what matters.”</p><p>“And that little bit will just be undone by President Hawley or Cotton or...Don Junior!”</p><p>“Don’t even say such a thing!” He said—with a grin breaking through on one half of his face. “Well, ma’am”</p><p>“Rey, my name’s Rey,” She answered. “I’m far too young to be a ma’am,”</p><p>“Rey, that’s a pretty name, fits you well,” He cocked his head all the way down to look at her eyes. “I’m Ben, though my friends call me Kylo.”</p><p>“Well I’m not your friend, so I’ll call you Ben,” She said through a smirk.</p><p>“Hmm, I guess you’re right. Well what should I do then, Rey? Should I go for Sanders?”</p><p>“You must do what you think is right of course. You did at one point think Sanders was the way to go. What was different about 2016 than now?”</p><p>“Guess I thought there was no way the people would vote for Trump, but I guess well…”</p><p>“We have nothing to lose now?”</p><p>“Oh there’s something to lose,” Ben looked at her. “But I thought I already lost it. I know what must be done…” </p><p>“Come on over.”</p><p>He hesitated. He was uncertain and fearful of the future. But he knew who the 2016 Ben would want to be. He knew that this girl he just met was right. </p><p>She grabbed his hand—so large compared to her small hand. </p><p>It fit perfectly with his. </p>
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